Red ales come in a wide range of interpretations; most are quite malty, but the prominence of the hop profile can vary greatly. We like what Kannah Creek has done with Vertical Drop, delivering a richly malty brew that also boasts plenty of hop character. Pouring a gorgeous deep red topped by a robust cap of foam, Vertical Drop offers up plenty of olfactory interest. Look for an underlying bready, toasty, and caramelized malt character, along...

This 2008 World Beer Cup gold medal winner presents a medium amber with coppery highlights, topped by a tall crop of pillowy foam that laces the glass nicely as it recedes to a persistent collar. On the nose, look for a distinct citric hop fruitiness, prominent floral tones, and a hint of pine, all underpinned by a moderate caramel malt character. Take a sip and notice the super-juicy hop contribution with big notes of Mandarin orange...

Ipswich’s Oatmeal Stout pours an opaque black, capped by a lasting head of rich brown foam. Be sure to let this brew shed some of its fridge coldness before pouring, in order to let the aromas and flavors express themselves fully. On the nose, we picked up a prominent roast character reminiscent of scorched bread crust & caramel, along with coffee grounds and dark chocolate. Look for some spicy and lightly earthy hop overtones, too. Big...

Session IPAs have become a super-popular style in the last couple of years, offering a flavorful but lower ABV alternative to traditional IPAs. Ipswich’s foray into this style presents a bright copper color with plenty of foam which drops to a persistent collar. We loved the exuberant aroma on this brew; the hops are very fruity, offering up big tropical fruit notes akin to pineapple and passion fruit, bolstered by grapefruit and tangerine-like...

Pouring a rich, medium-amber color with good clarity and a big cap of fluffy and persistent foam, Broken Oar gives a good first impression. On the nose, look for lots of hoppy goodness to burst forth, including soft floral notes, pine, and an inviting citrus character reminiscent of candied orange or Juicy Fruit. Swirl it up, and a touch more pine and spice pops out to join the prominent citrus. The first thing we noticed in the flavor was the...

Pouring a bright golden-copper hue with good clarity and a robust head which drops some lace as it recedes, Route 101 is a handsome brew in the glass. We really enjoyed the complex hop profile on this West Coast style IPA, which uses five different hop varieties; look for notes of citrus zest and juice, floral overtones with some herbal spice impressions, and light wisps of berry and melon. In the flavor department, there’s a core of pale...

This limited-production Double IPA does not see widespread distribution; in fact, it was first brewed as a pub-exclusive for the opening of Ipswich’s Brewer’s Table restaurant. Pouring a bright golden color, Route 1A offers up big, vivid citrus notes akin to tangerine, orange, and even a bit of pineapple – very characteristic of Mandarina hops, a relatively new German variety – as well as some floral character. On the palate, this is a bold...

This classic Scotch Ale presents a gorgeous brownish-garnet-red hue topped with fluffy khaki foam. British beer styles often provide significant complexity in a deceptively balanced overall character, and McEwan’s Scotch Ale is no exception. Look for aromas of red fruits and figs, along with malty caramel and light toffee notes. These aromas carry over to the flavor where they blossom across the palate. Rich caramel and toffee character forms...

One would be forgiven for assuming this to be a sickly sweet dessert in a glass, but we assure you it’s really not. Instead, it’s very much in the realm of traditional English Brown Ales, which tend to offer up quite a bit of toffee character – albeit in this case somewhat amplified. This brew presents a very clear deep brown color capped by plenty of foam, which drops to a fine-bubbled collar. “Pudding” is a term the Brits use somewhat...

We’re pleased to offer Broken Bow's Blended Barrel Aged Barley Wine as a Rare Beer Club exclusive. You’ll be able to get this beer only through The Rare Beer Club, aside from a very small number of cases to be sold directly through the brewery’s tasting room. This potent and generous barley wine has been aged in a mixture of bourbon, red wine and rye barrels, which meld into a seamless mix of berries, oak, toasty bourbon, and...

This is a special release from Brasserie de Silly, a one-time offering of the brewery’s famous Scotch Silly ale, aged in a particular type of barrel, the variety of which varies each year. We have previously seen the likes of Bourbon-, Bordeaux-, and Cognac-barrel-aged versions, in previous years. But 2016’s version aged in Burgundy barrels was something special for us. It combines the rich, caramelly impact of its Scotch Silly base with fruity...